When a pen of conventional type is used for making a mark on electronically scanned cards, such as, for example, on lottery cards, where a plurality of numbers are to be marked over, each of a necessary predetermined width and length, the conventional pens or pencils generally used for such purpose are often unsatisfactory. The reason they are unsatisfactory, is that the marks that are made by a pen or pencil are usually thinner than the width of the space that is to be marked out, requiring a plurality of back-and-forth strokes to completely fill in the space provided for each mark that is to be made on a lottery card. Similarly, in many other instances, such as in completing ordering forms, when marks must be made on cards or spaces on other documents, or when marks are to be made on various testing documents, such as aptitude testing documents or the like, the same problems exist; that is, conventional marking instruments do not clearly mark in the space with the desired width of mark, in a single stroke.
Some efforts have been made to provide instruments for addressing the problem of marking in spaces on cards or other documents, without requiring a great plurality of back-and-forth stroke motions. One such approach has been in the use of felt tipped pen, whereby liquid ink is applied through a felt tip, which tip is designed to have a desired width, corresponding to the desired width of a single stroke. However, when pressure is applied to the pen and the felt tip is urged under a given force across a surface to be marked, the leading edge of the felt tip that forms a line of greatest pressure will deform under the applied force, so that opposite edges of the leading edge curve backwardly away from the direction of motion of the pen, thereby reducing the width of the stroke. Then, in order to compensate, the user of the pen applies further pressure on the leading edge in an effort to widen the width of the stroke, to its intended width. This pressure only causes a further backward bending or arcuate motion, such that the radius that is formed at the ends of the leading edge increases, thereby compounding the problem.
A prior invention, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,486, was directed toward providing a pen that will allow a uniform width of pen stroke, such that pressure that is applied to the leading edge of a deformable tip of the pen will allow the leading edge to remain straight, without becoming arcuate at its ends, such that a linear line having a width corresponding to the width of the tip is maintained throughout the marking, to yield a stroke of uniform width.
The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,486 is particularly desirable for use on state lottery cards and the like, which will encompass order cards wherein blocks similar to those on lottery cards must completed, the marking of testing documents, such as for example aptitude tests and the like, and other similar uses where uniform width of pen stroke is desirable.
Additionally, the pen of U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,486 was provided with a blade that is particularly desirable for scratching away a removable opaque surface to reveal indicia disposed on a substrate beneath the surface. This latter feature is particularly useful, when scraping away a hidden layer of an “instant” winner lottery card, wherein the surface that is to be scraped away hides the pre-applied lottery number, such that the scraping away of the surface reveals the number.